Dear Mr. Zoosman, regarding your latest article against the death penalty for convicted terrorists with blood on their hands (“Israel’s new death penalty law will only unlock more doors for terror,” July 10, 2026), I must disagree with you.
You say, “the death penalty is vengeance disguised as deterrence.” Sorry, there is no “disguise” here; it is unapologetically vengeance. And it is important to note that the Israeli death penalty would not apply to criminal activity or military actions conducted under international law. This death penalty law would only be for tried and convicted terrorists who target and murder innocents. Period.
You state that the death penalty law has a simple lesson: “calls for death” will “fuel more killings.” I ask you, what do you base this conclusion on? There were no Israeli lawfare “calls for death” penalties before October 7. Israel has outstretched its hand in peace only to get it blown up.
In your article, a repeated theme was quoting Hamas and their recent threats related to the death penalty law, including their repeated strategy to trade terrorist prisoners for innocent hostages. You implied that this wouldn’t happen if there were no death penalty for convicted murderous terrorists.
Really? How can you believe anything Hamas, or any other Islamic jihadist group, states, claims, or even agrees to? (Also, there probably would be terrorists in Israeli prisons for trade who didn’t manage to kill.)
Please research the interpretation of the concept taqiyya. Muslims believe it is proper to lie and mislead to achieve an ultimate goal by deception. In other words, their religion allows lying and deception to achieve their jihadist goals of death to the Jews, destruction of Israel, and world domination of Islam.
I suggest reading the foundational documents of Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and Hezbollah, where such goals are clearly spelled out.
Additionally, as just one example, I remind you of the 2011 trade of Gilad Shalit for 1,027 prisoners. While I celebrate his return, as reported in this paper (January 25, 2025): “82% of those released in the Shalit deal returned to terror activity,” according to the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
I’m sure you recall that one of those traded prisoners was Yahya Sinwar, who had been imprisoned for multiple murders. As you must know, he became Hamas’s leader and was widely identified as one of the principal architects of the infamous October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Your demand that Israel “should unconditionally repeal this law, encouraging Israel to return to the civilized, abolitionist path for which Wiesel called [sic]. Only then can Israel begin to halt the cycle of violence and killing, once and for all.” In response to this illogical statement, let me respond with three logical and realistic points:
1. You quote the 19th-century writer Eliphas Levi as stating, “Every head that falls upon the scaffold may be honored and praised as the head of a martyr.” This is true. Such a convicted, murdering terrorist martyr will be celebrated, but at least he will not return to kill innocents again. Thus, closing one more door for terrorism.
2. While I admire Elie Wiesel, his quote you used (“Death should never be the answer in a civilized society.”) is applicable in an ideal world. As Israel’s enemies are not “civilized,” we cannot stand by and be killed. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 72a) instructs us that “When someone comes to kill you, kill him first.” This famous quote refers not to criminal activity but murderous attacks.
3. Throughout the history of the modern State of Israel, violence and killing have always been initiated by genocidal Islamic enemies.
One such example: “This war will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongol massacres and the Crusades.” This quote is taken from the February 1948 UN memorandum and attributed to Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam, the secretary-general of the Arab League, in the lead-up to the war that began in May, 1948.
Just listen to what their imams and politicians preach, and even read the Quran. Don’t you hear their repeated cries, “Death to Israel!” on the streets of Tehran, as well as on the streets of some of your own Canadian cities?
Closing the doors to terrorism
As a retired marketing professional, two key elements of an advertising campaign are: the message (what action you want people to take) and the target audience (who your message is directed at). Let me say that your message objective of repealing the death penalty is clear, idealistic, and action-oriented, but your target audience is wrong.
If Hamas, Hezbollah, the PA, Iran, and other Islamic jihadists would remove their aim of genocidal death for infidels (non-Muslims), then, and only then, will the “cycle of violence and killing” be ended and the doors for more terrorism will be closed.
Until then, the death penalty for tried and convicted murdering terrorists will decisively close one door to more murderous terror.
The writer is the author of the In Their Own Words book series: Revolutions and (forthcoming) What Do They Pray For?